Short hops and hard knocks with Red Sox beat writer Ian Browne.

Aces collide

Curt Schilling and Johan Santana. If this was September, the entire baseball-watching public would be focused on this game. Instead, it’s just a nice little Spring Training matchup. Santana doesn’t have it though. Three walks in the first inning alone.

The Dodgers come to City of Palms tomorrow. Boston’s former favorite son, Nomahhhhhhhhhh Gahhhhhhhciaparaaaaaaaaaaa will be making the trip. It will be the first time, believe it or not, that Nomar has played in front of a home Red Sox crowd since his departure from the team on July 31, 2004. I bet Nomar gets a loud hand during his first trip to the plate.

It is also reunion day for J.D. Drew and the Dodgers. I know the front office wasn’t particularly thrilled that J.D. opted out of his deal after he had said earlier he wouldn’t.

Meanwhile, t-minus 48 hours until the next Matsuzaka moment. Spies in Jupiter, Fla. tell me that the Marlins are going to have to sit some reporters in left field because of the small press box there and the wave of Japanese reporters who will be on hand.

Speaking of Matsuzaka, one of his translators went around to the clubhouse and passed out flash chards to all the pitchers yesterday that had the translation of english phrases and words in Japanese. That should help the pitchers develop some chemistry with both Matsuzaka and Okajima.

I watched a couple innings, one ground ball went under Lugo’s glove and I thought Schilling’s face looked like *****…Alex would’ve ****** that up for an out..” Just a funny moment. Lugo sure got on base a lot, that was fun to watch too. Oh, Schill, nice pick off move there, catch the guy mid step moving away from the bag, very nice.

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